Digital information can be electronically stored in different data formats (e.g., integer, double, text, binary) and different data structures. Further, digital information can be stored across distributed systems, such as relational databases, object oriented databases, files, web services, devices, programs and applications systems. Relations between the data stored over distributed systems can be missing. That is, there is no uniform data model as well as single-entry and homogenous access to this distributed data.
For example, supply chain management requires information from multiple parts of the manufacturing environment, which use different information systems, databases, and machines. For example, current orders can be stored in particular relational databases, while the machine status can only be retrieved through a web service call. This distribution and heterogeneity of the data make it difficult for the personnel in charge, such as the production manager or resource planner, to have an overview of the current process.